Children are well known for their great imaginations. Nature provides this so that us humans are able to make sense out of an otherwise complicated world. As young toddlers we draw upon our imagination to experiment with the things around us. Throwing things to see how far they fly, crashing things to see how loud they sound and touching everything in the shop to see how it feels! While the initial adult reaction to this may be somewhat negative, seeing it as creative discovery in action can reap benefits. As your child grows they will soon begin bolder experiments, imagining an exciting life living on the moon, mixing strange ingredients fromthe refrigerator to see how they taste and inventing games that test their courage.

All this creative competence and confidence is vitally important for a child’s healthy growth. The internal principles of logic guiding children are the same principles of logic that scientists use in their work. Creativity is a tool that can be used by children to make inquiries, put things in order and even change the meaning found in a given situation. This meaning making ability of children is a very important aspect of child development. In fact it is the very basis of all learning. As adults we can promote these activities by providing props (think dress up box) and building environments that stimulate your child’s imagination. How about a FIRE ENGINE bed? or a cozy TENT CASTLE in the corner of your lounge room to get you started?

If you are interested in further exploring and discovering the meanings and interpretations of kindergarten and preschool children please be sure to view and make comments on our...